Activities in Kidepo Valley National Park.
Activities in Kidepo Valley National Park give travellers a chance to experience the true African wilderness at its rawest and most authentic. Located in the northeastern region of Uganda, bordering South Sudan and Kenya. It is one of the least visited national parks in the country sine its isolated and it’s about 700 kilometres from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, to the park. It’s the third largest park in the country, covering an area of about 1,442 square kilometers. Kidepo Valley National Park is famous for hosting ostriches and having the highest number of buffalo in Uganda, up to 10,000 individuals.
This makes it a unique safari destination that nature enthusiasts shouldn’t miss on their safari in the Pearl of Uganda. The park is blessed with different ecosystems like wetlands, savannah grasslands, woodlands, rivers and rolling hills that provide habitats to various wildlife and bird species. It’s home to over 480 bird species, including savannah birds, water birds, migratory birds, woodland species and the park’s endemic species. It also hosts over 78 mammal species, including the 28 mammal species which are endemic to the park, like caracals, cheetahs, kudus, bat-eared foxes, aardwolves, striped hyenas, Guenther’s dik-dik and more. The park’s rich biodiversity supports various activities that travellers can enjoy on their safari, like game drives, bird watching, walking safaris, and cultural encounters.
Top Activities in Kidepo Valley National Park.
Bird Watching.
Bird Lovers and ornithologists will find Kidepo National Park a haven for bird watching, with over 480 bird species that call it home. This is a guided activity led by an experienced park birder who gives more insights about the bird species that participants might encounter and identifies various birds by their melodic songs. The park has different areas where visitors go for birding with rich birdlife, like Narus Valley, Kidepo Valley, Areas around Apoka Rest Camp. Examples of birds to encounter include African Gray Hornbill, Jackson’s Hornbill, Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Olive Bee-eater, Common Reed Warbler, White-throated Bee-eater, White-faced Whistling-Duck. Secretary Birds, Northern Camine bee-eaters, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Purple Heron, Clapperton’s Francolin, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Egyptian Goose, Garganey, Ring-necked Francolin, Orange River Francolin, Blue Quail, Harlequin Quail, Common Quail, Clapperton’s Spurfowl, Red-necked Spurfowl, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Speckled Pigeon, Mourning Collared-Dove, Lemon Dove, Dusky Turtle-Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Vinaceous Dove, Laughing Dove, Ring-necked Dove, Black-billed Wood-Dove, Namaqua Dove, Blue-spotted Wood-Dove, Little Swift, Common Swift, Horus Swift, African Palm Swift, Buff-spotted Flufftail, more.
Walking Safaris
This is one of the most interesting activities in Kidepo Valley National Park that allows nature enthusiasts to explore the park’s wilderness on foot. This is a guided activity led by a knowledgeable park guide who gives important information about the park’s inhabitant that encounter on the way and an armed game ranger who protects the participants from wild animals. It starts with a briefing about dos and donts of the activity and is best done in the morning or evening hours when temperatures are cool. There are different areas where visitors can do walking safaris like areas around Apoka Rest Camp, Narus Valley, Kidepo Valley, Lonyili Mountain and Mount Morungole. All places provide exceptional walking safaris to travelers visiting the park. Visitors will have a chance to enjoy the scenic views of the park, see various plants and tree species, animals and birds, including giraffes, elephants, buffalo, elands, warthogs, bushbucks, among others.
Game Drives.
Game drives in Kidepo are among the top safari activities that tourists can enjoy in the park. The park offers morning game drives, evening game drives and night game drives that allow visitors to see nocturnal animals, which rest during daytime and are active at night, like hyenas, leopards. It’s very hard to see leopards during the normal game drives, and if you happen to see them, consider your selves luck. These are guided activities led by an experienced park guide who identifies various animals and birds and gives more information about their behaviours and traits to visitors. Game drives are best done in Narus Valley due to its high concentration of wildlife and bird species. They will encounter animals like giraffes, zebras, elands, caracals, buffalo, leopards, aardwolves, herds of buffalo, elephants, cheetahs, kudus, hyenas and more.
Cultural encounters.
Cultural encounters are one of the major activities in Kidepo Valley National Park that attracts thousands of tourists to come and see these indigenous cultures living around the park. It’s near two tribes, like the IK and Karamojong people. These experiences allow guests to learn about the traditional lifestyles of these tribes, like hunting, traditional dances, music, storytelling, and how they use local herbs to treat diseases, among others. Interacting with these people creates unique and unforgettable safari experiences that are found nowhere in Uganda.
